Top Three Deliciously Weird Wriggly Beverages

by Sher D Fly, Apr 7, 2008

Tags:

3 beverage beverages drink mezcal tequila top worm worm tea worm wine

It would probably make your stomach turn if you were offered some exotic, worm-related beverages to quench your thirst. Nevertheless, in some parts of the world, “beverages with worms” are considered a tasty drink with a twist.

Mezcal or Tequila Worm

Mezcal is actually a type of Mexican alcoholic drink made from agave plant. While different species of agave plants can produce different types of mezcal, the blue agave plant is the one used to produce mezcal's popular close cousin, tequila. It is a known fact that some mezcal bottles contains agave worm (a type of moth larvae) but then again, tequila is not allowed to contain the said worm, by law. The practice of putting agave worm in mezcal bottles started of with a marketing gimmick introduced by Jacobo Lozano Paez after realizing that the agave worm changed the taste of prepared agave. It is said that the agave worm gives flavor to mezcal drinks and the delicious worm could be eaten afterwards.
Worm Wine

In 2001, Ray Reigstad, an American winemaker came up with an idea to make wine using an army worm which is a type of green caterpillar that eats leaves. Basically, the army worms are gathered in 6-gallon buckets and produced like any other wine made from fruits and flowers. Several local wine connoisseurs who had tasted the said wine described it as dry, crisp, pale and tastes similar to any grape wine. The wine worm is said to be similar to white wine and an excellent compliment to fish and seafood meals.
Worm Tea

Chinese worm tea is a new craze among tea lovers. Worm tea which is known as “chong cha” in Chinese is actually made of the excretion or feces of a type of silk worm. Basically, the feces of the worm which has been collected would be dried up and turned into a delicious cup of brewing tea. The Chinese locals believe that the so called worm tea has many medicinal values, ranging from curing diarrhea to healing hemorrhoids. The price of the tea is around $20 for every 100g grams. With its exquisite taste, this brew is definitely worth trying especially if you don't mind its disgusting origin.